Improvement in dies for cutting the uppers of boots and shoes



G. W. COPELAND & J. E. CRISP. Dies for Cutting the Uppers of Boots and Shoes.

No. 212,131. Patented Feb. 11,1879.

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UNITED'STATES PATENT QFFICE.

GEORGE W. COPELAND, OF MALDEN, AND JOSEPH E. CRISP, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS To THE COPELAND LASTING MAOHINE COMP NY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN DIES FOR CUTTING THE UPPERS OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 212,13 1, dated February 11, 1879; application filed October 18, 1878.

To all whom it may concern.- erator the position which the lapped edge must Be it known that we, GEORGE W. COPE- take in order to be true.

and JOSEPH E. CRISP, of Boston, in the county the uneven lapping of "the parts, of course a of Suffolk, both in the Commonwealth of portion of the advantage gained by cutting Massachusetts, have invented an Improvethe uppers toa predetermined patternis lost, ment in Dies for Cutting the Uppers ofBoot-s and the upper cannot be fitted upon the last and Shoes, of which the following is a speciin the lasting process without exercising more fication: care in adjusting the upper upon the last and The invention has for its object an improved in fitting it thereto. die for cutting out the vamp or quarter of a In folding the edge of the upper upon the boot or shoe, and for marking upon the said last, it is desirable that there shall not be exvamp or quarter a lap-gage. treme fullness at the toe, and, in some in- In the drawings, Figure l is a plan of a die. stances, at the heel, as the margin of the up- Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof. Figs. 3, per in the folding process will not, particularly 4, and 5 are plans of vamps and quarters, furwhere thick leather is employed, as in brogans, ther illustrating the invention. plait and fold with uniformity. We therefore Heretofore the vamp, quarters, counters, prepare our upper before the lasting process and other pieces which are used in making by serrating the edge at given points of the a boot or shoe have been cut from the stock parts composing the upper when the same by the use of dies; but the same have always are out. At the same time we mark the gagebeen provided with plain lower edges, and no line upon the vamp or other portion of the effort has been made to serrate the said edge upper.

of the vamp or quarter, to assist the process The die A that we show is intended to cut of lasting the upper, or to mark the vamp or out vamps; but of course we do not confine quarter with a guide, for the purpose of securourselves to that particular Shape. It is proing precision in laying the seams which unite vided with the V-shaped projections a, which these parts. may be separated from each other, as shown, It is necessary that the various portions 0011- by the portions 11, as shown, or may be constitutin g the upper, which are generally cut tinuous, to cut continuous serrations, such as with exceeding care to the pattern previously are shown in the vamp illustrated in Fig. 5. prepared, should be united in such a way that Within the die is arranged the yielding diathe portions that lap in forming the seams phragm O, which is held in position, preferaupon a predetermined line, and for this pursprings 0 0 The rods 0 which pass through pose various guides have been used upon the the springs, have a movement in the holes sewing-machines employed in laying the unit- '0 c and act as a support for the springs and ing-seam but they have been found not to as guides in holding the diaphragm in posiexception rather than the rule that the edge the projections 0 which stamp upon the upof one part is lapped regularly upon the other per the gage-line, above referred to, to deterportion, as in the haste of the operator to turn mine the extent of lap.

less some very easy and simple method of de: yields while the die is operating, and that it termining the position of the same shall he throws out the cut piece upon the lifting of provided. For this purpose we mark the edge the die.

of the vamp or other portion of the upper It has been customary heretofore to fill the upon which another portion is to lap with a die with cut pieces, and then to remove them. designating-line, which shall Show to the op The vamp and quarters, or either of them,

LAND, of Malden, in the county of Middlesex, When the seams are irregular, caused by should lap uniformly and regularly to or bly, flush with the bottom of the die by the work well in practice, and it is generally the tion. The diaphragm is further'provided with off work a nice adjustment is not possible un- It will readily be seen that the diaphragm having thus been cut and provided with the serrated edge (1 and the indentations or lapguides d, are then united in the regular way. The edge of the quarter lapping upon the vamp to the lapguide, conforming to it its entire length,but notextendin g over the same, is then ready for the lasting process. The upper being thus,it may be said, almost perfectly shaped, is placed upon the last, requiring no adjustment from the hands of the operator in determining the center of the toe and heel, which are the portions first lapped upon the insole and secured into position by tacks. The lastis then adjusted in the machine, and the upper dragged upon the same by lifting-pressure brought to bear upon the sides of the last until the upperis closely fitted to the last and the edge brought above the level of the insole to be folded. Closingplates then complete the lasting by turning the vertical edge of the upper upon the insole,

and in so doing lay over the edge upon the insole regularly and uniformly.

The serrations upon the edge of the upper at the toe and heel and at the shank, or upon either portion, or any other portion of the upper desirable, enable the upper to be folded by removing such portions of the edge of the upper as are unnecessary for the purpose of securing the edge to the insole, and which, if permitted to remain, cause an extreme fullness, particularly at the toe, which cannot be easily plaited or folded upon itself by the closing of the lasting-plates.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A die for cutting'vamps or quarters, provided with a gage for indicating upon the vamp or quarter the degree of lap necessary in uniting the same in forming an upper.

2.'In combination with a die having portions of its cutting-edge serrated, for the purposes set forth, a yielding diaphragm provided with the projections 0 substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The within-described vamp or upper 1 r vided with a lap-gage, impressed therein when the same is cut, substantially asset forth.

GEO. COPELAND. J. E. CRISP.

Witnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, A. J. OETTINGER. 

